Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Sitting in the petting zoo last Saturday watching the kids and adults holding 

the chicks and milking the cow, I thought a lot about the evolution 

of the Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

Benton County Farm Bureau has sponsored a free petting zoo 

at the Benton County Fair since the 1990's.

Janice Shofner, our Women's Committee Chair at the time,

had the great idea of providing a petting zoo to educate kids and adults about

Benton County agriculture.

Our first zoo was in a tent under the big old tree at the

 fairgrounds in downtown Bentonville. 

Our current petting zoo at the Benton County Fair is under

 a tall red-iron structure with plenty of room for chicks,

calves,pigs, a couple of cows

 and a lot of kids!

I'm thankful for dedicated Farm Bureau members

 that continue to  see the value of the petting zoo in educating 

kids and adults about agriculture.

                                                     Even our Benton County Fair Queen
                                                                      loves  the chicks!

Benton County Fair Alive

If you don't think the Benton County Fair is alive,

you should see the activity on the day before the fair opens.

It's buzzing with volunteers setting up for all of the entries

 into categories of  competitions and commercial exhibits.

As I walked through the commercial building today to 

volunteer for the set-up of a booth,

I realized the impact this community event has had on my life.

As a native of Northwest Arkansas, I have participated in the 

Benton County Fair in a variety of ways.

As a child, I rode Girl Scout floats in the fair parade, participated in the 

Miss Benton County Fair Pageant,served as a volunteer 4-H adult leader, 

worked with our sons showing dairy cattle during their 4-H experience

  and  served in  the  Benton County Farm Bureau Petting Zoo.

I've got great memories of not just the fair, but the people that 

work to make the fair a success for our community.

This year's fair theme says it all:

Making Memories and Celebrating Community

If you've never been to the Benton County Fair, I hope you will come to 

celebrate with our community and make your own memories.

Sponsors have made it possible to offer free admission to the fair.

The Benton County Farm Bureau  Free Petting Zoo is open each evening

 from 5-9 p.m Tuesday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.

You can find the schedule of events at:

https://www.bentoncountyfairar.org

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

If you need a little inspiration this week, head to the Benton County Fair.

The livestock barn is full of young people  showing livestock

  as part of their 4-H or FFA  projects. Not everyone will go home with an

 assortment of  fair ribbons but  each young person  will have learned 

valuable life lessons that will help them succeed in life.

                                       I'm thankful for the dedication of each young person
                                  entering the fair  and the many adult leaders that guide them
                                 throughout the  year as they work on their individual projects.

Dairymom's Thankful Thursday

Volunteering as the Zoo Keeper at the Benton County Farm Bureau's Petting Zoo at the Benton County Fair for the last 13 years  has provided many opportunities to share agriculture's story in a very fun environment.

                                 I'm thankful for the fun  I've had watching  children and adults
                                   of all ages enjoying the chicks at the Benton County Fair!

County Fair Show and Tell

While 4-H and FFA members and their families were proudly exhibiting their livestock at the 108th Benton County Fair this week, we were also providing a mega show and tell for consumers. My favorite county fair show and tell (besides the petting zoo) is the milking parlor. What better way to teach a child or adult where milk comes from than to show a dairy cow being milked!

Cows are milked twice a day at the fair just like at home on the farm. As you watch the milking procedure, you witness that no human hands touch the milk--once the milking machine is attached to the cow, milk flows directly from the cow, into the glass jar and then to the refrigerated tank.

This year's dairy show and tell also included a display showing that one cow can produce 60 gallons of milk in a week and the type and amount of feed and water that she needs to produce high-quality milk every day. Can you imagine drinking 50 gallons of water every day!

Although county fair show and tell only occurs once a year, dairy farm families like mine are working hard every day to provide you with safe,high-quality milk and dairy products as we care for our cows and the land we call home.  I'd love to answer any questions you have about dairy farming or you can find information at http://www.midwestdairy.org or http://www.dairygood.org.